Sheet feeder and inverter apparatus is already known in many variant forms in the prior art. As a rule, the ability to invert the sheets can be switched on and off, so that the sheets to be processed in any machines can be either processed twice on one side or successively on both sides, or in the case of printing machines can be so printed.
A substantial disadvantage of such known feeder and inverter apparatus is that they are either structurally too complicated and hence expensive, or that they cannot operate fast enough, so that high-speed offset printing machines, for example, which are capable of processing up to 25,000 sheets per hour, cannot be run at their maximum rate.